On a Roll: Three New Banh Mi Shops Elevating Perth’s Sandwich Scene

In a city where the conti roll is king, it takes a lot to stand out in the local sandwich scene. But over the last year, new openings have made it clear that there’s a growing local appetite for banh mi.

Of course, the city has plenty of established favourites. Le Vietnam still has a queue whenever lunchtime rolls around – and over in Mirrabooka, Ben Thanh has been serving affordable and traditional banh mi since 2005.

Alongside the classics, these three new additions show that Perth is doubling down on the Vietnamese roll.

North 54, Leederville

Bac Pham (ex-Rockpool and Petition) challenges expectations of your standard banh mi at North 54. Crusty buns are packed with hibachi-grilled gai yang (Thai marinated chicken); roast pork marinated in fermented red bean; or gooey eggs, tamarind mayo and crisp shallots. (This son-in-law egg banh mi was named dish of the year by Dahl Daddy’s Corey Rozario.) Unlike a typical banh mi joint, the compact menu accommodates most dietary restrictions. Gluten-free diners can enjoy banh mi fillings in a rice or noodle bowl, and vegan diners are catered for with an eggplant, mushroom and miso tofu offering. 

Drinks include Vietnamese-style drip coffees served dine-in or takeaway, as well as coconut water with a pandan cloud, plus a photogenic matcha cloud with clean, defined layers.

Hem Street Food, Northbridge

Hem Street Food manages to make Northbridge feel like Ho Chi Minh City. Serving banh mi by day and southern Vietnamese street food by night, Hem is the newest opening from “Danny” Nguyen Thanh Thien Dang, who moved from the Vietnamese city to Perth 14 years ago and opened Sup So Good.

During the day, he’s serving a string of creative banh mi. Fish cake versions, made in-house with mackerel, fly out the door alongside grilled pork, roast pork and grilled chicken. There’s also a traditional pork banh mi stacked with pork loaf, char siu, roast pork and floss. It’s stepped up with a glossy, savoury house sauce of green sticky rice, egg and oil, which is rich and creamy with just enough freshness to cut through the noise.

Banh Mi & Chè, Carlisle

Kelly Vo ran a dessert store in her hometown of Nha Trang in Vietnam. When she moved to Perth, the “auntie network” sprang into action and she quickly began selling her desserts online. In 2025, she opened Banh Mi & Chè in Carlisle, where she sells more or less just two things: banh mi and chè. Chè is often described as a “dessert soup” with taro, flan, jelly and coconut milk.

The banh mi is served with crisp roast pork, lots of pâté, mayonnaise, and enough pickled radish and carrot to cut through the fat.

There’s also xoi man, a sticky Vietnamese rice that reminds Vo of her school days, and banh trang tron, a salad made with rice paper. These street food classics can be paired with drinks like Viet coffee, which mixes the robust flavours of dark roast coffee with sweetened condensed milk.

Reporting by Jessica Rigg and Ange Yang.